A/N: I keep forgetting to say this, but THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR GIVING THIS STORY OVER 100 REVIEWS! I really appreciate everyone who spends an extra minute or two sharing their thoughts with me. And also thank you to all my lovely readers in general.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

…..

"You will lose someone you love."

Tenten raises a brow and stares incredulously at the old geezer sitting on the other side of the booth. She resists the temptation to roll her eyes and instead, forces a smile. "Uh… thank you?"

"Be careful young one." Be careful my ass. You're the one who looks just about ready to keel over, Tenten thinks. She turns to Lee and this time she does roll her eyes. He looks like he's going to piss his pants (err… spandex suit) in her opinion. He really needs to stop believing in these types of things. Though she herself is a fan of tarot cards and fortunetelling, it's just a hobby; she never takes it seriously.

"Lee, let's go." She tugs him away from the stand and keeps a firm grip on his arm as she tows him through the crowd. He had arrived at her doorstep at the crack of dawn and convinced her to come to the fair with him later that afternoon ("Tenten! They're setting up carnival rides and games and there is so much food and I even saw a fortunetelling booth! You cannot miss out on this youthful opportunity!") It is almost three now and Tenten can no longer ignore the growing pangs of hunger in her stomach. They eventually settle in a small café; he orders curry while she requests a plate of dumplings and a stick of dango.

"You really shouldn't believe that lady, Lee," Tenten begins once the waiter leaves. "I bet she says that to everyone."

"But Tenten! Are you not worried for Neji? He left on a dangerous mission just this morning. What if that prediction was about him?" Lee's eyes are as wide as saucers. Normally she would be quick to contradict this statement, but when she opens her mouth, no words came out. Though she tries not to show it, she is a bit unsettled by his words.

"Lee, he'll be fine," she says, taking a sip of water. She says it more for her sake than his.

"I'll see you tomorrow," Tenten says, giving her teammate a quick hug before slipping into her flat. She sheds her light jacket and moves to the kitchen to make a pot of tea.

She has tried not to focus on the fortuneteller's words and with Lee and his infectious cheer it hasn't been hard. But now sitting alone, her mind begins to wander to fearful places. She hugs her knees to her chest trying to keep worry from worming its way into her heart. The noise of the teakettle startles her and when she reaches for a cup, it cracks.

She doesn't drink the tea.

Tenten rolls restlessly in her bed, unable to fight down the growing concern in her heart. Neji is strong, he'll be fine. She has never worried so much before, but now part of her questions whether she should start. She isn't superstitious. She is reason and logic and that is part of the reason why Neji didn't mind her being on the team in the first place. But still…

She groans and buries her face in her pillow, almost missing the soft knock on her door.

Neji leans his forehead against the wall and closes his eyes, willing the world to stop spinning. He hears a shuffle then the sound of a lock being undone, and finally the door opens and Tenten comes into view. Her clothes are in a state of dishevelment, the straps of her tank top falling off her shoulders and one leg of her sweatpants rolled to her knee, the other at her ankle. She looks half awake, but when she gets a good look at him from underneath drooping lids, her chocolate eyes flash open completely alert.

"Neji!" she exclaims hurriedly, grabbing his arm as gently as she can and dragging him into her apartment. After she settles him on the couch, she places her hands on her hips and surveys his injuries, lips twisting into a frown. Another minute passes as she pads to her bathroom and rummages through her medicine cabinet. Then she comes back with her arms filled with rolls of bandages and antiseptic.

She is silent as she works and Neji tries not to squirm as she grips him tightly. She is a commander of dancing steel and in no way familiar with fragility. However, coming to her is much better than going to a hospital. Hospitals bother him with their strange smells and blinding white walls. He prefers the darkness of her living room and the scent of her strawberry shampoo.

And he trusts her. Trusts her more than any qualified nurse or doctor. He trusts her to fix him just like the way she trusts him to come back alive.

Neji lets out a hiss, his body jerking upward as she dabs at a particularly deep cut and then grits his teeth, trying to ignore the pain. "Sorry," Tenten murmurs, blowing cool air onto the wound to evaporate the alcohol.

After he's stopped bleeding and his injuries have been thoroughly cleaned, she stands and inspects her work. Then she takes a roll of thick bandages and begins to wrap the wounds. Her nimble fingers seem to move at a mile a minute, never missing a beat "Are you hungry?" she asks. He makes a small noise that means "no", but she knows him better than that. "I'll make tea in a minute." (She remembers the cracked cup, but brushes it off. He is here and it had meant nothing.)

He merely nods and closes his eyes again. The world has stopped spinning, but the throbbing in his head has become much worse. He begins to doze off, his lips curving into a smile when he feels a soft kiss on his hairline. He is acutely aware of Tenten's singing as she makes his tea even if his mind is too tired to comprehend her words. The ache in his joints has dulled enough to be bearable and his wounds, though they still hurt, are no longer a worry.

After Tenten gives him his tea, he dozes off again. He remembers her pushing him down on the sofa and covering him in a blanket, but not much else. The world is blissfully dark and quiet. When he awakes, Tenten is sitting on the edge of the couch bathed in the early morning light. Her expression is concerned and pensive. He moves to intertwine his fingers with hers when she suddenly turns towards him with misty eyes. He can tell by her gray complexion that she hasn't slept since he arrived at her doorstep, battered and bleeding.

"You had me so worried," she whispers and for a second he thinks she's going to slap him, but instead she begins to cry harder. Then out comes the story of the fortuneteller and she shows him the cracked cup and at the end, Neji's eyes are lit with amusement.

"I wouldn't die that easily," he says, reaching for her with open arms. It is an invitation she intends to take, but first:

"Promise?" She holds out her pinky and it is so stupidly childish yet it is so like her. He smirks, but intertwines his pinky with hers without hesitation.

"Promise."

…..

A/N: This is another story that no amount of editing can fix. It's just not coming out the way I want. Does that ever happen to you?

Thank you for reading and please review!

~M.I.